I have to admit 
I was never much of a Root Beer fan. I never disliked it, but even mixed with ice cream I always preferred a cola of some kind. Speaking with a customer the other day about sugar free baking I remembered my mother using diet soda on occasion to make brownies and cupcakes. I preferred real sugar in my desserts, but the thought sparked some inspiration, and after some searching I came across a cola cake recipe. I guess a few cola cake recipes have been in circulation for quite a while now, so I thought I'd try and do something a little more unique. I did a search for Root Beer cupcakes, just out of curiosity, and surprisingly enough to me I discovered a food bloggers worst nightmare. Dozens of recipes all varying slight from the next and the first recipe on the Google search actually turned up a vegan recipe. I felt that it was necessary to try it out, and after tasting it I felt that it was really too sweet and I think all the sugar from the soda created a crust on the surface that I didn't care for. With the simple exchange of Kefiir for some of the Root Beer it completely changed the texture of the cake without removing any of the flavor. I also added some allspice, just to make sure. These turned out incredibly well and after finding the root beer concentrate they're actually quite easy to make.
I was never much of a Root Beer fan. I never disliked it, but even mixed with ice cream I always preferred a cola of some kind. Speaking with a customer the other day about sugar free baking I remembered my mother using diet soda on occasion to make brownies and cupcakes. I preferred real sugar in my desserts, but the thought sparked some inspiration, and after some searching I came across a cola cake recipe. I guess a few cola cake recipes have been in circulation for quite a while now, so I thought I'd try and do something a little more unique. I did a search for Root Beer cupcakes, just out of curiosity, and surprisingly enough to me I discovered a food bloggers worst nightmare. Dozens of recipes all varying slight from the next and the first recipe on the Google search actually turned up a vegan recipe. I felt that it was necessary to try it out, and after tasting it I felt that it was really too sweet and I think all the sugar from the soda created a crust on the surface that I didn't care for. With the simple exchange of Kefiir for some of the Root Beer it completely changed the texture of the cake without removing any of the flavor. I also added some allspice, just to make sure. These turned out incredibly well and after finding the root beer concentrate they're actually quite easy to make.Wet:
3/4 c Root Beer of your choice, I've been happy with Virgil's, but I also made my own with this recipe
1/4 c So Delicious Coconut Milk Kefir
1/3 c oil of your choice
1/3 c oil of your choice
1 t apple cider vinegar
1/2 t vanilla extract
2 t root beer concentrate (I used concentrate from a home-brew store, but I also found an organic option here)
3/4 c sugar
Dry:
1 1/3 c AP Flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder1/8 t salt
1/4 t allspice powder
Directions:
1. Combine Kefir, Root Beer, and vinegar and set aside
2. Sift Together all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside
3. Combine sugar and oil into the Kefir Mixture, whisking vigorously until a lighter appearance is formed
4. Using a hand-mixer add the dry ingredients to the wet in 3 installments, making sure everything is well combined while mixing as little as possible
5. Fill Cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20-22 minutes
6. Top with Vanilla Bean Coconut Whipped Cream and dust with Vanilla Sugar. Garnish with a soda straw.
*to make coconut cream put one can of full fat coconut milk in refrigerator and store for a few days (I've heard overnight is fine, but I kept mine in for almost a week). The fat solids will separate from the liquid and should have the texture of butter. The fat solids will be your coconut cream, and you can scoop them out of the can with ease. Beat lightly with a hand mixer, add 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar (or more to taste), and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat until everything is well incorporated but DO NOT OVERMIX, the coconut fat breaks down and does not retain the desired texture. A very generous chef friend and fellow blogger, George Vutetakis, gifted me a bundle of Indian vanilla beans, so I split and scraped one and added the pulp to the coconut cream. If you are willing to spend the money, or get lucky like I did, it really heightens any dish where vanilla is required. If you're looking for impressive vegan dishes George's Blog is full of recipes and corresponding instructional videos.
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